Have y’all noticed at the end of the fight, when Uraraka first hits the ground, Bakugou immediately puts his hands down. But when Uraraka starts moving again and saying “I can still fight,” Bakugou puts his hands up again in a defensive stance despite her being on the ground because he believes her and her capabilities after she impressed him and doesn’t know what else she could be capable of even though she was physically at her limit. He doesn’t let up until Midnight closes it, and even after, his expression isn’t one of satisfied winning, but almost disappointed they couldn’t continue the fight.
Bakugou and Uraraka’s fight is honestly one of my favorite moments from the season. It gives great insight into, not only Uraraka’s drive and, arguably, her most defining moment, but also the beginning of Bakugou not being a complete buttwad.
To reiterate, you can pin point the moment when his drive and energy wavers a bit as soon as he sees Uraraka fall. There’s a softness to him, but there is also a subdued defensiveness to him.
In this moment, you really get to see how Bakugou is beginning to realize that even the strong have limits. You get to see how his respect for Uraraka, that, even when she is at that limit, still keeps up his guard because he understands and recognizes her strength. He doesn’t argue or rant or cause a scene when he is told to stop. He respects the situation and walks away from it with a newfound perspective. And you have to think: this is someone, outside of Deku and others that he doesn’t care to remember, that he considers weaker than him, who has surprised and went toe-to-toe with him that he hasn’t tormented or rage against. Honestly, this is something that really caught my eye.
I truly believe that these two have untapped potential to build and balance each other. I highly doubt that we would get such progression, but the possibilities of these two are both amazing and seemingly endless. They would be a literal (platonic or romantic) power couple. Rocket propulsion, zero-g projectiles, and other combinations would be a force to be reckoned with in the show.
theoctopusnods 